Metallic spoee machine



(NoModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R ALPE METALLIG SPOKE MACHINE.

No. 465,745. PatentedDec. 22, 1891.

I a Sheets-Sheet 2.

H P L A R (No Medal.)

METALLIC SPOKE MACHINE. No. 465,745.

Patented Dec. 22,- 1891.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

R. AL PE. METALLIG SPOKE MACHINE. No. 465,745. Patented Dec. 22,1891.

:ATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT ALPE, OF BIRCHFIELDS, ENGLAND.

METALLIC-SPOKE MACHINE.

SPECIFIOATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,745, dated December22, 1891. Application filed March 12, 1891. Serial No. 384,699. (Nomodel.) Patented in England September 26, 1890, No. 15,282.

ments in machinery for the manufacture of metal spokes and other sucharticles, and has particular reference to those spokes used i1i cyclesand other such wheels, by which I am enabled to form the ends of suchspokes of enlarged diameter in section, thus giving additional securityat their joints and considerably strengthening their connection to thehub and rim, and this I effect without waste of material and with verylittle increase in cost or weight over the ordinary spoke, while thespoke itself is considerably strengthened in the course of manufacture.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easilycarried into practice, I have appended hereunto three sheets ofdrawings, upon which I have fully illus trated the nature and working ofmy machine, together with several modifications of the mode of operatingthe feed arrangement.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my machine. Fig. 2 is a sectionalelevation of the machine from the front on line 1 2. Fig. 3 is a similarelevation to Fig. 2, but taken on line 3 4. Fig. el is an enlarged planof the disk E. Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevation of the guide-plate F.Fig. 6 shows the application by which my machine may be made to operateupon two, three, or four spokes simultaneously.

In carrying my invention into effect the pair of dies or anvil a andhammer a are mounted in the main body of the machine A, the anvil abeing stationary and the hammer a moving in the slide a and beingoperated by any suitable eccentric motion, but preferably by the arm awhich is eccentrically mounted upon the driving-shaft l3 and is made tooperate upon the upper die on bottom die or anvil a the wire 50 travels,during which it is reduced in diameter by the operation of the top dieor hammer 0.

For the even distribution of the pressure upon the wire as, when beingreduced it is necessary that the wire 00 should be simultaneously andregularly revolved and carried backward and forward in an automaticmanner, to effect which the one enda" of the wire a ismounted in theclutch h, Fig. 1, which is mounted in the rod II, this rod being in turnmounted in the carriage H, which carriage slides upon one end of therods K and is operated backward and forward by the connecting-rod m fromthe lever M, which is operated by the thread-wheel m from the endlessscrew m The endless screw m is operated by the pulley m and is mountedin the bearings m which are pivoted at m the endless screw at being keptup in gear with the thread-wheel m by the'trigger m Attached to thethread-wheel is the lever m, which is adjustable so that as thethread-wheel revolves the lever m comes in contact with the pin on onthe trigger m and thereby presses it over, thus allowing the endlessscrew to fall clear and become disengaged from the thread-wheel m whichaction is adjusted by means of the lever m to take place when the wirehas completed its return journey, when it is removed by the attendant, afresh wire inserted, and the endless screw m raised into gear again bythe handle m which is provided for the purpose. The weight m is providedupon the lever M, so that it remains balanced in a stationary positionwhen the endless screw is disengaged.

From the supplemental shaft N, by means of the catgut or othersuitableband a, the pulley 71/2 is mounted to revolve in thebearing-support k which is supported by the rods K and K, the pulley hbeing provided with the key 7b, which engages with the keyway providedalong the full length of the rod II, so that the rod II is revolved asit is carried backward and forward for the purpose of obtaining an evenpressure all round the wire.

The set-pin c for adjusting the top die a with regard to the bottom diea is provided with the disk E for operating the same, and this disk E isdivided out by the slots c to give an adjustment of thousandths, and asthe attendant has to release the dies each time upon the withdrawal ofthose wires which are furnished with an enlargement at each end, a loosedisk e is provided, having one slot 6 which slot is arranged over theparticular division in the lower plate, which gives the properadjustment, the two dies being then secured together by the nut 6 andthe spring bolt or catch e is. provided to engage with the slot, so thatafter the wire has been withdrawn the attendant has only to turn thedisk until the bolt 6 enters the slot 6 which registers the adjustmentwhich is desired.

' To form a gage by which the attendant may be able always to place thewire before starting the machine in the same position, the rod P isprovided and slides in the bearing p and 19 so that the end p may beextended to the position at which the carriage H has to be placed whenstarting the machine. The rod-sockets are pivoted to the support at p sothat it may be turned up out of the way when the carriage is traveling.The top die is raised after each blow, and when the wire is beingwithdrawn by means of suitable coiled or other springs a and a", Fig. 5,placed between them for the purpose. To guide the wire straight and keepit in the groove between the anvil and .hammer, the gi'iideglate F isprovided.

Dies for operation upon the wire may be also provided above thetoggle-arm a, as well as below at S and T, as shown in Fig. 6, by whichmeans a considerable saving of power is effected and a similar set ofdies may be arranged and operated upon the reverse side of the machine,as shown at U and V, the whole being worked from the same eccentricmotion, by which means four wires could be worked simultaneously, andrequiring only the same arrangement for working the feedcarriage, asshown, to the single machine, as all four wires would in that case becarried by four revolving clutches and rods working in one main carriageand support in a similar manner to that shown in the case of the singlerevolving clutch in Fig. 1.

\Vhat I claim then is 1. In a metallic-spoke machine, the combination,with an anvil a and a reciprocating hammer a of a carriage H, a rotaryshaft supported by the carriage and having a spoke-wire-engaging clutch,a thread-wheel m an endless screw m engaging the threadwheel, a triggerm supporting the screw, and a lever m attached to the thread-wheel andacting on the trigger to disengage the endless serew from thethread-wheel, substantially as described.

2. In a metallic-spoke machine, the combination, with an anvil a, areciprocating hammer a and means for reciprocating the ham mer, of theslotted disk E, the loose disk c having the slot '6 and the spring-bolt6 substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my name in thepresence of two witnesses. I

ROBERT ALPE.

Witnesses:

LEWIS WVM. GooLD, GEORGE Pinon.

